As cultured as a Simon Elliot square pass

The Calm In the Storm

Watching a depleted Puerto Rico team get run around by Saprissa, I get the sense that Puerto Rico would have had a much better shot if half of their team was available. Bill Gaudette wasted enough time to get suspended for a game and Noah “Cop Stache” Delgado is out with a dental infection for goodness sake. The Islanders are a team without a that calming force.

The Crew don’t have a history in the Champions League like Puerto Rico. They do have a couple of things the Islanders don’t though. Firstly, they have more talent. They also have players who have been in big games before. Alejandro Moreno is a Venezuelan international and Frankie Hejduk has played at Azteca. They also have the best big game player in MLS right now, Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

Looking back to last year, Schelotto just returned from injury and played well until the playoffs. He raised the level of his play and made the team noticeably better. He played some of the best games I have seen anyone in MLS play. The stakes were at their highest; the best team in the league could have flamed out in the playoffs, but Guille saved the best for when i counted.

I would not be surprised to see glimpses of tomorrow night in Mexico City, I am actually expecting to catch a peek at the legend.